Gogebic County Fair budget deficit mulled by board

By RALPH ANSAMI

[email protected]

Bessemer — A deficit in the Gogebic County Fair budget was again discussed by the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners Wednesday.

After the board met for its regular twice monthly meeting, it returned into a committee meeting format and discussed fair finances.

At a Sept. 28 committee meeting, it was pointed out the fair budget was in deficit by $16,030.

Commissioner Tom Wasley said attendance at this year’s fair was only around 6,000, with a particularly small crowd on that Saturday. At the Sept. 28 committee meeting, he said the fair would need 9,000 to 10,000 people attending to make a profit.

It’s planned that a survey of county taxpayers will be sent out to determine what they want to see at the fair.

A key problem is that state funding for the fair has dried up considerably in recent years.

A possible solution to keeping the fair finances in the black would be using the Lac Vieux Desert’s tribe’s 2 percent funds to the county that come from gambling revenues, commissioner Leroy Kangas, of Ironwood Township, suggested Wednesday.

Commissioners said the Dickinson County Fair features local musical acts only, which would cut the costs of hiring national acts. This year, the headliner at the Gogebic County Fair was Juice Newton, who did not attract a full grandstand on that Friday night, but the crowd was better than on Saturday, when it rained.

County board chair Joe Bonovetz, of Bessemer, said some other Upper Peninsula counties don’t financially support their fairs.

The county budget for the Gogebic County Fair is $15,000 for 2016-’17.

Wasley said the fair board would “love to pay back” the approximate $14,000 it owes to the Delinquent Revolving Tax Fund and it would do so if attendance increases to a profitable level. He said the fair board must soon make a decision on the carnival for next summer, and the entertainment hasn’t been booked yet.

Last summer, a grant was received for building repairs and it required a local match, necessitating the borrowing from the DRTF.

Randy Kasich, an Ironwood citizen, criticized recent carnivals for not having a Merry Go Round and said the high percentage of people living in poverty in the county is hurting attendance.